Daniel Farke has provided an update on his fitness ahead of Leeds United’s return to Championship action on Friday night.
Daniel Farke has confirmed some positive injury news for Leeds United ahead of their match against Rotherham United on Friday night.
In comparison to their Championship rivals, the Whites return to action from the November international break earlier, with the trip to the Millers coming before the rest of the weekend’s action on Saturday.
Farke is irritated by this, as a number of Leeds players returned from international duty on Wednesday, leaving only Thursday available for training with the rest of the squad.
However, there is some good news for the German, who will welcome three players back into the first team squad after the break.
Djed Spence, Jamie Shackleton, and Joe Gelhardt have all returned to training in the last week, according to Leeds manager Phil Hay.
What is the most recent Leeds United injury update?
Spence has not played for Leeds since suffering an injury during training in September.
The defender is on loan from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, but has only made one appearance for the Whites due to fitness issues.
Farke confirmed that the 23-year-old returned to training last Saturday and could make his second appearance for the club on Friday.
Shackleton and Gelhardt have also returned to training alongside Spence, providing a boost to the team ahead of a busy December schedule.
Even better news has come from the fitness of Sam Byram and Pascal Struijk, who are both expected to recover faster than expected.
The pair returned to training on Wednesday and are unlikely to play much against Rotherham, but they could return next week.
However, Georginio Rutter and Wilfried Gnonto are both questionable for this weekend.
A win over the Millers would bring the team within five points of the automatic promotion spots.
Leeds play before league leaders Leicester City and second-placed Ipswich Town, giving them the opportunity to put pressure on the top two by defeating their Yorkshire rivals away from home.
Prior to the November international break, the Whites had won three games in a row, cutting the gap to the automatic promotion places to just one point.
However, if they lose to Rotherham, they could drop to within two points of the chasing pack outside the play-off places, depending on other results.
The match between Leeds and the Millers begins at 8 p.m.
How important can Djed Spence be for Leeds United?
All things considered, Spence has had a very difficult last year.
However, he has previously demonstrated his potential, having played a significant role in Nottingham Forest’s promotion to the Premier League in 2022 under Steve Cooper.
If he can regain that kind of form now that he’s fully fit, he could be a key player for Leeds this season.
Spence should be well suited to Farke‘s style of play, so it’s exciting that he’s finally back up to speed and could play on Friday night.
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